Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 3: Built environment

In the final episode of this mini-series, Caro, Anna, and Priji explore how the built environment shapes our interactions with daylight. From balconies and windows to schools, workplaces, and public spaces, the places we move through every day influence how much natural light we receive and how we experience it.

These spaces are more than design choices. They are shaped by culture, climate, geography, and daily routines. Together with our interviewees, we discuss how architecture can either support or limit our relationship with daylight, and why paying attention to light in our environments matters for well-being, mood, and everyday life.

Key highlights from this episode:

• How homes, workplaces, and schools affect daylight exposure

• Why balconies and "transitional spaces" can feel so meaningful

• The role of window design and orientation (we even get poetic about windows!)

• How thoughtful design can help us build a healthier relationship with daylight

Links and resources:

• Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5

• Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3

• More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/